Refuse truck loader



Feb. 10, 1953 1.. s. THOMAS ETAL.

REFUSE TRUCK LOADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 17. 1948 INVENTORS. LAWRENCE S-THOMAS BY THOMAS EDWARDS THE/R Arron/v5).

Feb. 10, 1953 L. s. THOMAS EI'AL REFUSE TRUCK LOADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 17, 1948 H Hj rH I UHHHHIMU m l I l l l l .lll I I l l s m S S MOD M3 ms D WEE m E RM W H LT VI. F N M T T A m w T Feb. 10, 1953 L. s. THOMAS ETAL REFUSE TRUCK LOADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 17, 1948 INVENTORS. LAWRENCE S. THOMAS BY THOMAS EDWARDS THEIR ATTOPNEX Feb. 10, 1953 s. THOMAS ETAL REFUSE TRUCK LOADER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 17, 1948 FIG].

4 a /////////4% E- A X E N R w T A m E H T Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFUSE TRUCK LOADER Corporation, Corona New York Application April 17, 1948, Serial No. 21,734

2 Claims.

This invention relates to refuse collection truck constructions; more particularly to a loader for such trucks.

It is an object of our invention to provide a power driven loader which may take the refuse loaded into a hopper such as at a low level, compact the same, and load it into the body of a i I a refuse truck, a hopper located at a conveniently truck. More specifically it is contemplated by drum to the hopper to effect a volumetric reduction of the refuse fed into the same.

Still more particularly, it is an object of our invention to provide a loader for a refuse truck including a cylindrical drum having substantially radially retractible vanes which, under power driven rotary means, progressively and continuously crushes and compacts the refuse into the opening of the truck body, and loads a relatively extruded charge of refuse within the truck body whereby high pay loads" are carried by the truck to the dump grounds.

Still more particularly, it is an object of our invention to provide a refuse truck having a loading hopper which combines with a power driven drum having a rolling and crushing ac; tion, a spring-loaded baffle plate and restrictor, to secure a relative movement of the rotary drum and the envelope wall whereby require ments for the refuse handled at various seasons may be met and adjustment made as to the amount of compacting necessary for the general type of refuse thus encountered.

Still more particularly, it is contemplated by our invention to provide a loader operating within a hopper comprising a cylindrical drum to ef-- fect a volumetric reduction of the refuse charged therein with relation to the hopper walls by a continuous rotary movement, and to include substantially radially, eccentrically movable vanes which encapsulate a charge of refuse against the hopper wall during rotary movement,';:to compress the refuse progressively, while charging the same into the body, and combine the same with a spring-loaded bafile plate and wipeoff plate, whereby the truck body is loaded with a constricted charge of the refuse. 1;-

Still more particularly, it is an object of our invention to provide in a tall-gate assembly of low level and including a compactor which is continuously driven by power means, such as rotative hydraulic means, and including a horizontally trunnioned cylindrical drum having substantially radially movable vanes actuated by annular cams, with the hopper housing the cylindrical drum to effect a volumetric reduction of the refuse charged into the hopper, to compress the refuse while operating to pass the compressed refuse into the body, and further characterized by having the cylindrical drum and the hopper include means adjacent the point of maximum constriction to permit movement of a portion of the hopper wall from the cylinder in a direction of movement away from the entry to the throat of the hopper, to provide a spring-loaded bafiie and restrictor whereby to minimize the back pressure on the compactor in the extrusion of the refuse from the hopper into the refuse body.

Still more particularly, it is an object of our invention to provide a refuse loader which eiliciently applies power for compacting refuse into the truck body, and which may be economically manufactured and serviced with low cost maintenance.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein or may be hereinafter pointed out, we make reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of the tail-gate of a refuse collector embodying our invention, viewed from the left side of the truck;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, viewed from the right side of the truck;

Figure 3 is an end view of the tail-gate assembly;

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the rotary compactor, magnified to show details;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a magnified section taken on the line 1'! of Figure 3; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the springloaded adjustable bafile plate.

Our device is an improvement of certain features of a rotor embodied in an application for patent in the name of Ernest C. C. Miller, Serial No. 660,940, filed April 10, 1946, entitled Loader for a Refuse Collection Truck.

Making reference to the drawing, our invention is combined with a refuse truck body I0 having a tall-gate II, hinged by the hinge I2 at the top rear end of the truck to form a closure for the flange I3 thereof. Th tail-gate has at its lower end I4, a hopper I5 whose throat I6 is at a relatively low level. The hopper is defined by side walls I1 and I8 which are suspended at one end to the hinge I2 on the top of the truck body; the other end has a meeting edge with the rear edge of the body and adjacent which there is provided a partition wall I9, leaving an opening spaced from the truck floor 2 I. The lower edges of the side walls I1 and I8 are generally arcuately shaped, and between such arcuate edges there is supported the hopper bottom wall 22 leading from the throat I6 to the opening 20. An upper partition wall 23 extends from the throat I6 to the lower edge 24 of the rear wall I9. Within the passage thus described and eccentric with regard to the arcuate wall 22, there is trunnioned the drum 25. For this purpose we provide end housings 26 and 27 carrying bearings 28 and 29 for the shaft 38. The drum has a plurality of guide slots 3I within which, in a radial position ofiset from the center, are positioned the vanes 32. The vanes may extend from a position to have their ends 33 coterminus with the periphery 34 of the drum, or may project for a portion of their width, as will appear more clearly as this description proceeds. Each of the vanes is provided with end pins 35 which extend in the slots 35 of the end plate 31 which is welded or otherwise connected to the drum. The pins project in the annular space 38 of the cams 39 which are held stationary on the inside of the housings 26 and 21, and eccentrically positioned with respect to the bearings 28 and 29 for the shaft 30. It will be apparent that upon rotation of the shaft 35, to which the drum 25 is keyed relatively to the cams 39, that the vanes will be successively projected and retracted during rotation of the drum. '1

We adjust the position of the drum 25 with regard to the arcuate bottom 22 to provide a general reduction in the volume from a point adjacent the throat I6 rearwardlyto the nip between the drum and bottom wall 22. The clearance at the nip may be adjusted with due regard to the kind of refuse to be handled-whether of the incompressible type, such as ashes, or of the compactible type, such as kitchen refuse, food waste, garbage,

debris such as paper, or the like.

The axial adjustment of the annular cam 39 is made with due regard to the cycle of projec- 'tion or retraction of the vanes 32 to provide maximum projection along a plane 6-4! adjacent the bottom 22 and maximum retraction adjacent the top of the drum 25. We provide for relative movement of'the drum 25 and hopper bottom 22 relatively to each other from a point near maximum constriction to the edge 4| of the truck floor 2i and for this purpose the baffle plate 40 has its inner face 42 arcuately shaped to conform continuously to the curvature of the bottom wall 22.

The leading edge 43 is pivotally mounted on the cross-rod 44 carried by the hinge members 45 on the bottom 22. The trailing edge 46 is arcuately shaped along an arc whose center is coincident with the pintle of the hinge members 45, whereby in all positions of the bafiie plate the trailing edge 45 is in contact with the edge 4| of the truck floor 2I or duct leading to the same. The baffie plate 40 is provided with end straps 4! through which the tie-rods 48 extend and pass through the angle brackets 49 mounted on the side plates I I and I8, respectively. The tie-rod 48 is headed at one side by the bolt head 50; the other end 5| is adriphery 34 of the drum 25.

justably headed by a nut 5I over the expansion spring 52 which is sleeved on the tie-rod 48 and bears on the upper face of the angle bracket 49. The degree of restriction and spring loading of the baffle plate 40 will appear more clearly as this description proceeds.

Suspended from the wall 23, there is provided a wipe-off or scraper blade 53 whose edge 54 is pivotally suspended from the hinge 55. The lower edge 56 is adjusted to bear against the pe- The wipe-off blade 53 is provided on one face with ears 5! to which, by-cross-pins passing through the same, they are pivotally connected to the draw-bars 58 projecting through the pressure plate 59. The ends '50 of the draw-bars are provided with adjusting nuts 5| acting against the expansion coil springs 62, serving normally to draw the wipe-off blade 53 in contact with the periphery of the drum 25. The pressure plate 59 slidingly mounts the pushrods 63 tohave their ends 54 bear against the wipe-01f blade 53. The opposite ends 65 are provided with a knuckle joint element 35 for connection to the rocker arms 61 by the clevis pin 68. The rocker arms 5'? are mounted upon the crossshaft 89 which is trunnioned in the side plates .I'I and I8 and has an exterior end I5 provided with an operating handle II for pivotally moving the rocker arms 8'! and, in turn, the push-rod 63, against the spring tension of the springs 62 which draw the wipe-oil blade 53 into drum wiping position.

On the platform 23 there is provided a hydraulic motor 12 operated by a source of power (not shown) and which, through the coupling I3, is geared to the reduction gear assembly I4 and which may comprise a worm and wheel drive. The power takeoff shaft I5, through gears I6 and chain drive 'II, drives the driven gear I8 for further reduction of the power delivered to the shaft 30 with which the gear I8 is keyed. 'A casing I9 encloses the chain drive and gear assembly at the side of the plates 1! in a manner which will be readily understood. The hydraulic drive I2 and gear reduction assembly I4 are encased by the plates 88. The details for the control of the hydraulic drive at a point adjacent the tail-gate are not shown, but will be readily understood.

With the construction as described, the hydraulic drive and reduction gear are adjusted so as to provide a counter-clockwise rotation of the drum 25 when viewed from the right-hand side of the truck, as more specifically shown in Figure 7. Refuse fed into the throat I6 during such rotation is entrapped between the periphery 34 of the drum and the bottom 22 and gravitationally falls in the generally constricting area between the drum and the bottom 22. During this'rotation, the leading vane 32 progressively projects during the cycle of rotation to reach the maximum projecting condition adjacent the plane fl-Il'. Continued rotation of the drum entraps the refuse between a set of vanes, the rearwardmost one being adjacent the edge M of the truck floor 2 I. In the movement of the drum, the refuse is moved within the hopper, at the same time being subjected to rolling compacting action as the refuse is pushed along in the progressively constricting passage between the drum 25 and the bottom wall 22 and the extension thereof comprising the surface 42 of the baffle plate 40. The degree of compacting action is determined by the clearance between the drum and the bafiie plate 40, and the tension to which r! .2 the baiiie plate 40 is subjected by the tie-rods 48.

The trailing edge 45 of arcuate contour projects the corner 46 above the floor 2! in accordance with the load that may be encountered and the relative frangibility of the refuse. The arcuate face of this trailing edge relieves the back pressure upon the rotating drum to permit a high degree of packing of the refuse within the truck body.

By the construction provided, refuse may be deposited into the truck body at a relatively low level position of loading convenient for manually emptying refuse into the hopper throat I 6. The refuse in its movement into the truck body, is compacted or compressed and enters into the truck body in more or less extruded fashion to provide a high pay load. The compacted condition of the refuse as it enters the opening 20, serves to push and ram the refuse already deposited rearwardly toward the opposite end of the truck to progressively fill the body of the truck with compacted refuse which, by reason of the low volume it thus occupies, may fill the truck body without any special means of distributing the refuse to the interior of the body. The spring loading of the bafile 40 by the tierod 48 may be adjustable to suit the seasonal refuse handling, it being understood that during the winter months there may be collected refuse which is more difficult to compact, or relatively infranglble, such as in the handling of ashes; whereas, during the summer months there may be a greater abundance of kitchen waste and paper which may require compacting action more economically to handle the refuse.

While we have illustrated a wipe-01f blade 53 which may be fixedly positioned in contact with the periphery 34 of the drum 25, instances may be encountered where refuse collects about the drum and escapes past the edge 55 of the wipeoif blade 53 by manually actuating the pushrod 63 to tilt the blade to a position which will permit cleaning of the cylindrical drum 25. The relatively fixed relationship of the drum 25 with regard to the wipe-off blade 53 makes for efficient cleaning and scraping during normal operation.

It will be observed that by the construction which we have provided, wherein an eccentric relationship exists between the drum and the forward end or pre-dead-center end of the hopper, the refuse is immediately rolled and compacted with the feeding or scraping of the material to a point beyond the nip or zone of greatest constriction. The rigid relationship of the trunnions for the drum, with respect to the entrance end of the hopper, minimizes power losse for movement of the compacted debris or refuse. Where, in the preferred form of the construction, the spring-loaded adjustable baffle plate is employed at a point beyond the nip or zone of greatest predetermined constriction, the compressed material is further crushed, compacted, and moves as a unit more or less to become extruded into the body of the truck to push against the accumulated mass therein and pack the same rearwardly into the body of the truck toward the opposite end of the truck. Under conditions where the trailing edge of the bafile plate projects the surface inwardly past the edge 4! of the floor, this latter upstanding segment minimizes back pressure of the load within the truck body more effectively to compact and drive the refuse from within the hopper to within the truck body.

Having thus described our invention and illustrated its use, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refuse collecting truck, comprising a hopper having a passage adjacent the floor of said truck body, the combination therewith of a horizontally trunnioned drum having vanes cyclically and radially cammed for moving material from said hopper through said passage into the truck body, said hopper, being arcuately formed at its bottom wall, the drum being eccentrically positioned with respect to said wall, whereby the refuse is rolled and compacted against said wall in moving material from said hopper into said truck body, a scrape-01f blade resiliently contacting the periphery of said drum adjacent a zone of said drum in the retracted position of said vanes, and camming means to deflect said scrape-off blade from contact with the periphery of the drum.

2. In a refuse collecting truck comprising a hopper having a passage adjacent the floor of said truck body, the combination therewith of a horizontally trunnioned drum having vanes cyclically and radially cammed for moving material from said hopper through said passage into REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,619,550 Thebaud et al. Mar. 1, 1927 2,076,504 Ochsner Apr. 6. 1937 2,151,886 Barrett Mar. 28, 1939 2,430,973 Boissonnault Nov. 18, 1947 2,509,388 Biszantz May 30, 1950 2,573,269 Miller Oct. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 825,873 France Dec. 16, 1937 311,733 Germany Apr. 8, 1919 628,189

Germany June 27, 1931 

